Over the next couple of weeks, I will be featuring the neighborhood of Baden, in the far north of St. Louis (in fact, it takes less time to get to Clayton from downtown St. Louis), which, like Hyde Park, The… Continue Reading
Kirkwood Cleaners is possibly no longer in business, but I cannot tell. It is on the northwest corner of St. Louis Avenue and Vandeventer.
Gus’s Market is still in business, right at the corner of Blair and Destrehan. Sadly, there are still some abandoned buildings on the block. But many were renovated by RISE, and they are now safe. I remember when this house… Continue Reading
Crossing over 20th Street, Destrehan Street gets even more interesting. Here, the Bungalow Belt gets even more pronounced, and while a few are abandoned, they are mostly occupied. But oh wow! The north side of the street is a long… Continue Reading
If I had to pick a theme for the architecture of Destrehan Street, it would be variety. Built up slowly over decades, and as newer houses replace older ones, it is what makes Hyde Park so interesting. And perhaps what… Continue Reading
Much of the activity of a household would take place on the back side of the house, and in fact, many upstairs apartments were only reached via an outdoor staircase reached through a “mouse hole” in the front facade. Likewise,… Continue Reading
South Hyde Park, which I define as south of Salisbury Street, has a slightly but not totally different feel than the northern half. The south side has less mansions, more workers’ cottages and some amazing alley houses. This is a… Continue Reading
As styles changed along Salisbury Street, the commercial corridor of Hyde Park, renovations occurred, such as the addition of this shop window on a giant Second Empire corner building. This building may be very old, but was renovated sometime in… Continue Reading
People still care up here. This storefront church has revitalized a great building, like something you’d see on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Google Street View reveals that this building was languishing before the renovation. And then there is… Continue Reading
These little beautiful Italianate houses face I-70, their property values ruined. But look at the beautiful cornice that still survives, looking like it’s in great condition. This large store building anchors the row; one can imagine how dense the neighborhood… Continue Reading